Forwarding envelope



A. B. ASHBY FORWARDING ENVELOPE Filed May 2. 1921 LTHOIMQA Patented Oct.9, 1923.

ALLE1\T B. ASHBY, OF BGNNERS FERRY,*'IDAHO.

ronwaanme ENVELOPE.

1 .App1ication filed Ma 2, '1921. ;Seria1, No. 466,113.

To all 107mm it may concern Be it known that I, ALLEN B. ASHBY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Bonners F erry, in Boundary.County and the State of Idaho, haveinvented certain new and usefulImprovements in Forwarding Envelopes, of which the following isaspecificatio My present invention relates to improvements in forwardingenvelopes designed especially foruse in the mails when it is desired toforward a, communication in a single packet to a succession. ofdestinations, and finally returned to thQSQQQlGI OI initial source oftra el, or to a predetermined desti nation. The primary object ofv theinventionis the provisionof an envelope of this (-liaracterwhich hasasuccession of idispensible address sheets or "leaves, each of 'vhich,

' while innse as a partof theenvelope, is

utilized to seal, the enclosed parts until they 1 are utilized. Andafter the last auxiliary leaf has been utilized the envelope in itsfinal form aifords 'a properly sealed and protected enclosure for thearticle inclosed.

lVith the above objects in view the invention consists in certainnovelicombinations and arrangements ofparts' and in the formationof theenvelope blanks, as will be hereinafter inore fully pointed out andclaimed. 1

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodiment of my invention in which 3 the parts arecombine'dfland arrangedfaccording to the best model have thus fardevised forthe practical "application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the blank used in the formation of theenvelope. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the em velope complete initsinitial form, ready for sealing and looking at the rear of the packet.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the envelope in itsinitialform and sealed, the parts being. exaggerated for convenience inillustration.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the envelope of Figure 3.

In the preferred form of the invention as shown in the drawings theenvelope is made from a single sheet or blank cut and bent or folded onscored'lines produced by suitable machinery, and the envelopes areprepared in their initial form by use of suitable and proper machinery.

The blank, as indicatedin Figure 1 com prises six'leaves indicated as 1,2, '3, 4,6, and 6, the two central leavesl 'and2 forming the pocket,which is open while the envelope is being forwarded to four; differentdestinations, but sealed against access thereto at. all

times by the presence of the four address leaves during its initial use,and also sealedduring subsequent'forwarding by the re-j maining leaves,as will be described. "After all of the leaves 3, 4, 5 and 6, orthedesired number of them have been used, the return envelope may bereturned to the original sender, or be retained :by the last receiverasr'equired.

It will be noted that the two central leaves 7 1 and 2 are slcoredforffolding online 'A- to.

form the receptacle or pocket, thel lea f 2 being foldedupback of thelea f1 in Figure 1', and the leaf 1, which ha s 'thel addressthereontowhich the return envelope is to, be finally sent has a'gumntied flap 11? which is pensed with, is returned to the, originalsender or to the final receiver. 'At '2 the i used only when the returnenvelope, after the four leaves have been detached or disleaf 2, whichbe'comesthe back of the envelope, is cut out to'facilitate accessto'theinterior ofthe pocket. By foldin the two central-leaves at line A, thesix eaves become paired, andthenthe pairs 56 and. 34: are folded on therespective lines D E andBC, covering the address leaf or front "1 ofltheenvelope, the freeends S of each of these leaves being I gummed, asindicated. Thus the leaf 5. which, like the other leaves is perforatedand gumm'ed'to form the outer strips S, is also'perforated at 'SalOngthe fold D, the other leaves3,4, 6 b'eingl'also perforated along therespective folds The pair of leaves 5 6 are first folded over to the.left in Figure .1 andfgummedf and sealedalong edges S, theri'the pair"3-4 are folded to the right in Figure 1, the free edge of leaf 3 beingsealed to the folded edge; I

of leaf 6, and the free eclgeof leaf 4 is sealed to the free edge ofleaf In this'manner the four free edges of ends of these leaves" 3, 4,5, 6,are sealed, one pair at the left end of the envelope and the otherpair at the right end of the envelope.

At their outersides, each of the leaves has a gumnied tab, indicatedrespectively as 3, P, 5?, and 6?, the'adhesive or gum being applied atthe extreme edge of the tab and the tab being of suflicient length to bebent tabs 3 5 and 6 are. folded back: as indior folded over the unsealed{lap 1 and be affixed to the back wall 2 of the envelope. When not inuse, or before being used, the

cated in Figure 3, and for initial use, the

tab 4 is folded over the-top edges. of all" the leaves and made toadherent-o the back wall 2 of the envelope as in Figure In thisinstance, and in the three subsequent uses the flap 1 remains unsealed,but is re 't ained in position by 'the particular tab that is in use. 7.I

In Figures 2, 3, and' l the envelope is shown prepared for its initialuse,and after the tab l in Figure 2 has been bent down over theupp'enedges and enclosed tabs of the detachable leaves, said tab P is affixedto the back wall 2 as indicated in Figure 3,

where the forn'iation and spacing. of the parts are e-Xaggerated forclearness of illusnation.

lAs shown in Figure 3 the packet is ready for its first passage throughthe mails, and when received b-ythe addressee whose name appears on thefront of leaf 4,,this leaf is detachedby severing the tab-4 and also.

severing the leaf l at its sealed ends S and ,Q, from the packet. Bysevering the tab 4 access may be. had to the pocket orfenv e packet isbeing usedffor I el pe.; a i -tracing a shipment of merchandise ontherailroad for instance, the inissive or coininunication may be withdrawnfrom the en- ,i velope, the proper data placed thereon and 35 i "The tab3, is now afliired to the back of the 1 envelope or leaf 2, and it willbe remembered thatthe ends. of the leaf 3 are secured, one end by itsfold and the other by adherence to the succeeding leaf 6, the packetbeing thu's sealed at both'ends and over the top (edge. A postage stampmay be affixed at the upper right hand corner of the leaf 3,

and the packet remailed to a second destination, When received at thesecond destinas a the leaf 3 is detached and its at 3% broken or tornoff giving access to the niis sive in the pocket. The packet may be sentto the third and fourth destinations under the same conditions, withadditional ad-c dresses, and after the last address leaf'5 has beenremoved the front sheet or address sheet 1 of the envelope is disclosedand the envelope is sealed by affixing the flap 1 to the back wall 2,and the envelope returned to the first sender as first class mail. Inthis manner the missive or con'imunication may be transmitted tofoursuccessive destinations and returned. to the original sender infirst class condition. And by the use of such an envelope a considerablesaving n1 material, postageand time is accomplished, to-

gether with accuracy. and facility in dis-' patching the mail matter.

Having thus fully described my :inven tion, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is- I l. The ooml'nn'ation anenvelope with sealed ends, of pairs of.

separableaddress leaves folded over the front of said envelopefroinopposite ends p y with a pair ofmain, folded leaves forming thefront and back of thereof, and means on-each'address leaffor 1securing-its end, and means on eachqsepa rable leaf forsecuring aclosure of the envelope.

2. A forwarding envelope comprising a single sheet fashioned with a pairof folded leaves sealed at their ends and forming the front and back ofan envelope and a seallng flap on one of said leaves, a separableaddress leaf folded over the front leaf and.

attached thereto,an'd a securing tab on said separable leaf adapted tobend over thetop' edges of said leaves and be attached to the back. ofthe envelope. V

3. The combinationwith a pair of folded leaves sealedat their ends andforming the front and back of an envelope and a sealing flap on one ofsaid leaves, of two pairs of oppositely folded andsealed separable -address leaves, and a' sealing tab on each 'sepa rableaddress leaf adaptedsuccessively to be afiixed to the back of the envelope.

' In testimo'nywhereofl aflix my signature.

' ALLEN B. ASHBY.

